Chip Earning for Prolonged Player Interest

ABSTRACT

Poker players lose interest when a game is finished. Methods and devices are described that continue interest over longer series of games. Token rewards are given for long multiple hand playing that can be exchanged for drawing one or more cards in a later hand. Another reward for long term playing is to receive a free ante, free spin or free game. These methods are particularly useful for Texas Hold&#39;em and other games that can be played electronically.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A major goal in the field of professional gaming is the need to hold the interest of a player. A problem is that discrete games are played. At the beginning of a game, a player typically contemplates how much he or she is willing to wager, and then embarks on a game that could be as simple as pulling a handle of a slot machine or more complicated such as multiple steps used in a poker game. A popular poker game in this context is Texas Holdem. Such poker games maintain player interest via one or more strategy steps that require the player to consider the value of dealt cards and to make a betting decision based on such valuation. Such decision making based on future outcome probability assessment provides much enjoyment and can hold the attention of a player for prolonged time periods. An example is a game called “Texas Hold'em Foldup” invented by Michael Baker.

Despite the use of strategies in games such as poker, player interest inevitably wanes at the conclusion of a hand of a game, at which point the user has to make a conscious decision to start a new hand or stop. Generally, the user has no particular incentive to start a new hand and is at the same level of advantage as when he or she started a gaming session. In other words, the user's position reverts to that of the starting position. Accordingly, the user generally can most easily stop play right after finishing a particular game such as a wagering session on a slot machine, or completion of a poker game.

A bonus feature often is added to a game to help prolong player interest. Such bonus feature may include a characteristic from the main game or act as a reward for playing the main game. Representative techniques in this regard are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,011,581 issued to Cole et al. and entitled “Gaming device having main game activating a bonus event.” Generally, however, such bonus features or bonus games are considered extensions of a regular main game and as such comprise additional steps to a game, and do not necessarily prolong player interest.

Any method and device used for implementation of such method, which addresses this problem of gamer exit at the conclusion of a game, could greatly benefit the game provider. It is very helpful to maintain player interest in order to maximize profits.

SUMMARY AND DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Added Chances Associated with Long Play Times

The limitations reviewed above are alleviated by one or more embodiments that provide improved probabilities and/or reduced ante requirements after a player has played a set number of hands.

TOKEN REWARD

One reward for long term playing is to receive a token that can be exchanged for drawing one or more cards in a later hand. In a game such as draw poker or Texas Holdem, cards are drawn, which provide a chance for improving the strength of a player's hand. Face down cards (draw poker) or community cards (as in Texas Holdem) for example may be drawn. In a desirable embodiment, after a set number of hands are played, the player receives a token for exchanging one or more of such cards with a new card, for improved chances of winning. A token, such as a chip may be visually presented to indicate this reward for continued playing. In an embodiment the token may be one of two kinds. For example, a gold chip may be presented after 7 hands of playing Texas Holdem that can be exchanged within 7 more hands, in return for replacing all of the community cards with new drawn cards. Similarly, a black chip may be awarded and turned in within any of subsequent 7 games in return for replacing one of the community cards. In an embodiment a higher value token (such as a gold chip) can be used to replace more cards, or more important cards, than a lower value token (such as a black chip). In an embodiment an intermediate token (a silver chip for example) may be used and can replace any of the cards, whereas the black (lower value) chip can only replace the last community card, such as the river card in Texas Holdem. For example, receiving the gold chip allows the player to replace all of the community cards (or an intermediate position such as all of the flop community cards), receipt of the silver chip allows replacement of any one card and receipt of the black chip allows replacement of just the last (river) card.

When using two or more value tokens, in one embodiment the higher value token can only be received if the player plays longer (compared to the requirement for receiving a lower value token. For example a player could not get a gold token unless he plays 10,12,15,20 or more hands versus 5,7,9 (etc less than that for the higher value token). In an embodiment a player has to play on the machine longer to get the gold chip and the black and silver chip are random after a period of time.

After a set number (e.g. 3-12, preferably 5-10, more preferably 7) of card game hands are played, the visual token, such as a chip appears (is given) to the player. For example, on a video display such as a slot machine or personal computer or computer terminal, a poker game may be played and after 7 hands, a chip shows up on the screen. From that point, the player has a set number of hands (e.g. 3-12, preferably 5-10, more preferably 7) to use the token.

The token may be used, for example during any of the ensuing set number of hands. The video display may query the user “would you like to use your chip?” If the player decides to use the token then an existing card from a hand (for example a face down card or a community card in a game of Texas Holdem) is replaced with a new card and a new winner is determined. A condition of use for the token, is that the token must be used in the ensuing set number of hands (preferably 5-10, more preferably 7 hands) or else expires. After use of the token this way, another token may be earned automatically by playing an additional set number of hands, which preferably is 3 to 12 hands and more preferably from 5 to 10 hands, and most preferably 7 hands. Thus, the player can have only one token at a time.

In embodiments for Texas Holdem, the token may be used for specific rounds, such as after the flop (to replace a flop community card), or for the river round to replace a river card. Preferably at least a high token (e.g. gold chip) is used with a low token (e.g. black chip) but in an embodiment 3 are used (e.g. a silver chip of intermediate value). The gold chip may be used to replace any one community card, (in another embodiment even a hole card as well).

FREE ANTE REWARD

In an embodiment, another reward for long term playing is to receive a free ante. In this embodiment, the player receives a free ante when playing a game such as draw poker or Texas Holdem after playing a set number (e.g. 3-12, preferably 5-10, more preferably 7) of hands. The free ante may be given one time or may be given multiple times. The free ante may be progressively increased (from a portion of the ante to the maximum) in an embodiment.

In an embodiment, a free spin or free game is awarded after the player has played for a set amount of time, such as an hour, or after a set number of hands of a game.

TOKENS

To make the game more exciting, according to an embodiment a visual token is given to the player as a reward for playing a predetermined number of hands and/or by playing a predetermined amount of time, particularly for a wagering game such as draw poker or Texas Holdem. A visual token may be a displayed symbol on a screen that is selected or physically touched. The token may be selected by clicking on a mouse over the symbol. In an embodiment two (preferably) or more symbols are used that have different valuations. In an embodiment a high value symbol is gold colored and a lower value symbol is black colored.

Other permutations of embodiments are contemplated and included within the scope of the claims. For example, a variety of a portion of community cards used in Texas Holdem can be exchanged for a high value (e.g. gold) token at a variety of times, where such is more limited when a low (e.g. black) token is exchanged. A skilled artisan can readily derive software and algorithms for implementing the embodiments. For example, in a first step, a played hand counter is incremented by completion of a hand. After a predetermined number (e.g. 7) of hands is played (decided by comparing the hand counter with a stored value), a subroutine is activated for display of a token and an input subroutine is enabled. Later, after a community card (if playing Texas Holdem) or hand card (if playing draw poker) is generated, the subroutine is activated as a. display of a token or other visual symbol. This informs the player that he or she can trade in the token for the right to replace one or more community cards (if playing Texas Holdem or other game that uses community cards) or perhaps to draw another card (if playing draw poker or other such game where cards are drawn).

A next step in the software is to look for and respond to a user selection of using the token. Another step is a check to determine if the token should be expired. Typically, each game after the award of a token, is counted until a set value (for example 7) is reached. If the token has not been used then it is extinguished and the software routine initializes to a new wait timing (example 7 hands) for determining a new token.

The derivative of Texas Hold'em called “Texas Hold'em Foldup, is particularly useful in combination with tokens as described herein. In particular, the details provided in U.S. Ser. No. 12/618,556 filed by Michael Baker on Jan. 13, 2009 are especially relevant and may be combined with each of the techniques enumerated herein. The contents of Ser. No. 12/618,556 is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. 

1. An improvement to a poker game played by a player, having one or more card playing steps, the improvement comprising: awarding a token to the player after a set minimum number of hands have been played; wherein after award of the token, the token credit may be exchanged for at least one card draw during a subsequent hand within a maximum number of subsequent hands.
 2. The improved game of claim 1, wherein the game is Texas Holdem and the credit may be exchanged for a new draw of one or more community cards.
 3. The improved game of claim 2, wherein the card is a community flop card.
 4. The improved game of claim 1, wherein the token is either a high value token that can be exchanged more freely or a low value token that can be exchanged less freely.
 5. The improved game of claim 1, wherein the game is Texas Holdem and the at least one card draw is an optional replacement for at least one community card.
 6. The improved game of claim 1, wherein the game is a poker game and the at least one card draw is an optional replacement for one or more drawn cards.
 7. The improved game of claim 1, wherein the game is Texas Hold'em Foldup.
 8. The improved game of claim 1, wherein the game is draw poker.
 9. An improvement to a poker game played by a player, having one or more card playing steps, the improvement comprising: awarding a free ante to the player after a predetermined number of hands have been played.
 10. The improved game of claim 9, wherein at least two free antes are provided. 